


Case of the Lying Jerk Face

by IncendiaGlacies



Series: Partners - Psych AU [3]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Psych (TV) Fusion, Friendship, Gen, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26145379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: A chance encounter brings secret from Rip’s past to light.
Relationships: Gideon & Rip Hunter
Series: Partners - Psych AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892041
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Case of the Lying Jerk Face

_Rip wrapped the phone cord around his fingers as he anxiously waited for someone to pick up. Finally, the line clicked._

_“Gideon!”_

_“Hold on,” Eve replied in a bored voice. “She just got back and she’s tired but I know she’ll want to talk to you. Just try not to run up my minutes again. International is expensive, Rip.”_

_“Yes, Eve.” Rip waited a little longer until he finally heard the sweet voice he’d been hoping for._

_“Rip?” Gideon said excitedly, sounding out of breath._

_“Gideon! How are you? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days now.”_

_“I was travelling.”_

_“I know, Eve said.” Rip frowned, Gideon didn’t usually like travelling on her own._

_“I went to Italy, for my art history class? I snuck away on the weekend to come and see you, but they said-”_

_Rip could hear Gideon sniffle on the other line and his heart broke. “I know, I was gone for the break. I came back to the states to surprise you.” He looked up at the woman sitting across from him and rubbed the wedding band on his finger. “There’s something I’ve actually been wanting to tell you-”_

_Gideon coughed loudly and Rip paused, waiting until the fit subsided._

_“Gideon? Are you sick? What happened?” he demanded._

_“I’m fine,” she insisted. “It’s just some small bug I caught on the flight back.”_

_“Gideon, you need to rest. And drink lots of fluids and-”_

_“You’re being more annoying than Eve now. What’s the surprise, Rip?”_

_He paused, hesitating for a long moment. Rip couldn’t dump the news on her like this. It would be cruel. Gideon should recover first and then he’d tell her his news. “I had just come home to see you, and I didn’t get to.”_

_“Wrong time, wrong place,” she murmured sadly. “This is the longest six months of my life.”_

_Rip leaned against the wall and sighed, a heaviness in his chest. “Me too,” he whispered._

_Gideon groaned loudly. “Eve is yelling at me about her minutes. Fun sucker.”_

_He chuckled lightly. “You should go. I would hate to ever make Eve upset and ban me from the house.”_

_“She’d never do that.” Gideon sneezed. “I should go. Just remember-”_

_“The list. I know. It’s on my board for me to see every morning.”_

_“I love you,” she said quietly._

_“Love you too, Gideon. Get better soon.” Rip waited until she hung up before he put the phone back._

_“You didn’t tell her?” Miranda asked curiously, getting up to kiss him. “I thought she was your best friend?”_

_“She is.” Rip squeezed her hand. “It’s not the right time now. She’s sick and it’s already hard on her that I’m this far away. You don’t know Gideon like I do, she needs to be eased into things.” Ever since Gideon lost her family, she didn’t react to abrupt news well, especially bad news._

_“Well, she does know about us, doesn’t she?”_

_Rip stared blankly at the wall._

_“Rip!”_

_“I’m working on it,” he insisted. “You know how protective she is about our friendship.” Gideon still refused to acknowledge the existence of his roommate. Not to mention every time he got a girlfriend, Gideon somehow managed to run them off. He loved Miranda, he’d married her. Telling Gideon could wait a little longer._

_“I know what I’m doing,” he insisted. “I just need a little time to prepare her for this. That way she’ll be ready when I come home with you this summer.”_

* * *

Gideon grinned at all the booths and people milling about. She grabbed Rip’s hand and pulled him through the masses. “Isn’t it amazing?” she asked with glee.

“That’s one word for it,” Rip muttered. “When I said I was willing to drive you during my lunch break, I thought perhaps you might have actually wanted lunch.”

“We had lunch.”

“A chocolate bar is not lunch.”

“It is to me. Oh, look Rip! Look at those earrings!”

Gideon darted off into the crowd and Rip shook his head. He should have known better. Gideon had always had an affinity for shiny things, of course she would have her eye on the Central City Jewelry Expo. Rip did his best to keep up but Gideon flitted from booth to booth quickly, easily distracted by the next sparkly thing in her path. It wasn’t long until he lost her altogether.

* * *

“Oh, Rip look! The emerald set!” Gideon looked around, finding herself alone. “Rip?”

“Can I help you?” a woman with a British accent asked from behind the stall. “Do you see anything you like?”

“Oh, I was just admiring the emerald set. It’s gorgeous.” Gideon reminded herself she couldn’t buy it. Rip would be very upset with her then. Besides, it wasn’t like she wore much jewelry outside of her locket and earrings. She just enjoyed how it sparkled.

“Thank you, I designed it. The pendant is supposed to resemble a peacock.”

Gideon tilted her head and nodded. “I see it. The feathers are fanned out.”

“Exactly.” The woman smiled brightly. “I’m Miranda, by the way.”

“Gideon.” She shook her hand.

“Gideon?”

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s not a common name for a girl.” Gideon had heard it all before. “My parents were expecting twin boys. Instead it was my brother and me.” She looked down at the different jewelry sets, not wanting to go into the details.

“No, it’s not. I think you’re the second woman I know of that’s named Gideon.”

“Really?” Gideon looked up in surprise.

Miranda waved it off. “I was married once. My ex-husband’s best friend was a woman named Gideon. Wasn’t married long enough to meet her, but I remember just how much he talked about her. Funny, the things you remember about people.”

Gideon laughed along and nodded when she heard her name being called in the crowd. The people parted and Rip stepped through, looking rather irritated.

“I thought I told you not to run off from – Miranda.” Rip’s face paled when he saw the woman opposite Gideon.

“Rip,” she whispered back quietly.

“What, you two know each other? Rip doesn’t have friends I don’t know about.” Gideon looked back and forth between the pair and slowly, the puzzle pieces clicked together in her mind. She saw the soft look on Miranda’s face, it was how her mother would look at her father. She saw Rip’s telltale signs of nervousness; running a hand through his hair, biting his lip, fidgeting, rubbing his left ring finger.

Gideon really wasn’t a popular name for a woman.

Gideon shook her head as she looked between the two. Her eyes stopped on Rip, desperately pleading him to tell her what she thought was wrong. That she was mistaken. The evidence lied. That he would never have done this to her.

“Gideon, I can explain…” Rip said weakly.

“No, no!” Gideon shook her head as her vision blurred with tears. Rip had lied to her. He was never supposed to do that. Not her Rip.

“Gideon,” Rip reached for her but she flinched back, disappearing into the crowd. “Gideon!”

“What just happened?” Miranda asked.

Rip looked back at the woman he hadn’t seen in ten years. “You just met my best friend. Who now hates me for lying to her.”

* * *

Gideon took off her helmet and took a deep breath, making sure her face was composed. Whenever she’d been mad at Eve when she was younger, she’d always gone off on her motorbike. Normally, she’d get Rip to tag along, enjoying how he’d wrap his arms around her protectively, keeping her safe from the world.

Not today. Today, it was Rip’s fault. Words she never thought would come true.

Gideon glanced at her phone where Kendra had texted her to come in. A case was exactly what she needed to keep her mind off her so-called best friend. She went up the stairs and entered the bustling station. Gideon kept her head down, avoiding Ray, knowing he’d just try to ask her what was wrong. Not looking where she was going, she bumped into someone.

“Sorry!”

Kendra picked up her papers. “It’s okay. I was wondering where you were. Rip was at the Jewelry Expo when we got there. But he said you’d left.”

“Jewelry Expo?” Gideon frowned. Kendra hadn’t told her the nature of the crime.

The detective nodded. “There was a robbery. They called it in. Harrison has them in there now.”

Feeling like she was floating in the air, simply watching her body move, she entered the holding room. Harry, Rip, Miranda, and a blonde woman were already there.

Rip looked up the second she walked in. “Gideon! Thank goodness, I’ve been looking for you.” He moved towards her but she stepped back behind Kendra. Both detectives frowned at that. They had never seen the duo in a fight.

“Rider, glad you’re here. You can see how a real detective works,” Harry said. When she stayed suspiciously quiet, Harry continued. “We’ve had a robbery at the jewelry expo. Everything of real value was kept in the vaults. Ms. Ramsbury’s jewels were the only ones that were taken. At this time we do think it was a premediated crime. We’ve brought both Ms. Ramsbury and Ms. Coburn in for questioning.” Harry pointed at Miranda.

“Don’t you mean Mrs. Hunter?” Gideon asked bitterly.

“What?” Kendra asked confusedly.

“Didn’t you tell them, Rip?” Gideon crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Gideon,” he hissed. “This is not the time. Stop acting like a child.”

“Tell them or I will. Since clearly you’re incapable.”

“Hunter, Rider, somebody tell me what is happening or I’ll charge you obstruction of justice.”

Rip stared at Gideon, not taking his eyes off her. “Miranda is my ex-wife,” he said curtly. “Happy now?”

“She’s your what?” Harry demanded. “Did you know about this?” he asked Gideon.

“Only found out today. About ten years too late.” Gideon turned on her heel and left the room. She didn’t need this case if Rip was going to stay here. She ignored the footsteps following after her and grabbed her helmet.

“Gideon, please wait!”

She stopped and turned, glaring at him. “I’m not an idiot, you know.”

“Of course I know that, Gideon-”

“The only time that you were away, that you had time to keep this from me, you met her in London, didn’t you?”

Rip nodded tightly. “I was going to tell you, I was-”

“But you didn’t. You didn’t tell me. You kept this from me. You. The one person I trusted after losing Gilbert-” Gideon’s heart clenched and she clutched her locket, taking a deep breath. “I have to go.”

“Gideon, please. Miranda needs our help.”

“Well, she has you for that. I’m sitting this one out.”

“Gideon, you’re my best friend-”

“Friends don’t lie to each other and keep secrets for a decade!” she screamed at him, garnering the attention of the police station. Gideon was too much on a roll to care now. “I didn’t think I had to put ‘don’t get married without me’ on the list. I thought it was rather self-explanatory.”

“Gideon-”

“Good bye, Rip.” Gideon turned and walked away from him again.

* * *

Eve put down the groceries and sighed at the mess Gideon had made. It wasn’t often her half-sister came home ever since moving out, claiming this place would never be her home anyway, but Eve was always happy to have her. If only she didn’t make such a mess. Quietly, she cleaned up the crumbs on the kitchen counter and threw out the chocolate wrappers before heading upstairs. Eve made sure to knock on the door before entering, knowing it would just be one more thing for them to fight about.

“Are you working on a case?” she asked.

“Case of the lying jerk face,” Gideon muttered.

Eve furrowed her brow as she looked at the state of the bedroom.

“Gideon? What’s wrong?” Eve grew concerned when she saw Gideon hugging Gilbert’s old teddy bear, a bowl of ice cream at her side, her eyes red-rimmed. “What happened?”

“It’s not in here,” she said miserably, glancing at all the letters around her.

Eve frowned and sat next to her, rubbing her back like she’d done to her as a child. Gideon didn’t even try and push her off this time. Something was clearly wrong. “What’s not in here?” She glanced at the letters, recognizing Rip’s neat penmanship, dated for when he’d gone to London and left Gideon behind.

Gideon wiped her eyes. “He was married,” she said hoarsely.

“Who?”

“Rip.”

“Rip? Your Rip? Gideon, there must be some mistake. You misunderstood. Rip wouldn’t get married-”

“Except he did. He got married in London and never told me. It’s not in any of the letters and I remember our phone calls. He never told me, Evie. He lied to me!”

Eve suddenly had her arms full with a sobbing Gideon and held her as best she could.

* * *

_“She’s in her bedroom. She’s upset,” Eve said succinctly, letting Rip in. “I’ve tried talking to her but she’s-”_

_“I know, I’m sorry, Eve. You know I’d never hurt her on purpose,” Rip insisted. “But it’s an amazing opportunity. I really didn’t think I’d get in but-”_

_Eve held up her hand to stop him. “I know. I think this will be good for you both.”_

_“You do?”_

_Eve shrugged. “Truthfully, she depends on you so much. It’s not that I’m not grateful you’ve been there for her, but it’s almost codependent. It will be good for her to go at it alone for a bit. She’s always had someone. First it was Gilbert, now you. Gideon needs to figure out who she is on her own.”_

_“Can I see her?” he asked hopefully._

_“Upstairs.”_

_“Thank you.” Rip hurried up the stairs and entered Gideon’s dark room. In the moonlight, he could see the music box from her childhood, and how she was desperately holding Gilbert’s teddy bear. Rip knew there were two things she cherished most; her mother’s locket and her brother’s teddy bear._

_Quietly, he took off his shoes and jacket before slipping into the bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her._

_“I’m sorry,” he said desperately._

_“You said you weren’t going to go,” she said hoarsely. “You said you didn’t care.”_

_“I know, I know I did. But Gideon, it’s an amazing opportunity. I don’t remember much from London, I’m not like you. I don’t have good memories there.” Only the orphanage. “I want to make some.”_

_“You could have told me. I’d have gone with you.”_

_“It was on impulse, you know I didn’t think I’d get in.”_

_She cuddled her teddy bear tighter. “You’re leaving me too. Everyone always leaves. First Eve, then Gilbert, now you.”_

_Rip squeezed her. “Six months. Only six months.”_

_“You promised.”_

_“And I promise I’ll come back. We’ll talk on the phone, write letters, you’ll barely even notice I’m gone.”_

_“Yes, I will,” she said childishly. He listened to her soft cries, unable to help her this time. “What if you get a new best friend? Or completely change?”_

_“That will never happen. And you can make a list, of everything you want to do with me when we go together, okay?”_

_After a long pause she finally said, “Okay.”_

_Rip kissed her hair and held her close. “I love you, Gideon. This won’t change anything.”_

_He held her the rest of the night as she cried quietly, swallowing her fears for him._

* * *

Gideon continued to sob in Eve’s arms when they both heard a knock on the door. She popped her head up and found Rip standing there, looking apologetic and haggard.

“Gideon, I’m sorry,” he pleaded.

Gideon looked at the letters that surrounded her. “I thought I made a mistake. There was no way you would actually lie to me for that long but it’s not in the letters. You were never going to tell me.”

“If you’ll just let me explain-”

“Did John know?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“What?”

“Did he know?” she said more clearly. Rip’s silence was enough. “Get out.”

“Gideon-”

“I don’t want to see you. Get out! Eve!” Gideon turned away, hugging her teddy, refusing to even look at Rip. He made a step forward but Eve stood up and shielded her from him.

“You need to go,” she said quietly. Rip didn’t move. “Don’t make me ask twice.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered again. Turning, he quietly walked out. Eve stroked Gideon’s hair as she cried into her pillow before following Rip downstairs.

“You were the last person I ever thought would purposely hurt Gideon like that,” Eve started before railing into him. “You know just how hard it is for her to trust people after losing everyone she loved. She barely trusts me, but this was you, Rip. You know just how much it hurt her when you left for London and then you go and get married of all things-”

“I am allowed to have a life outside of her, Eve!” Rip exploded. “Just because I love her does not make her my keeper, okay? You know how Gideon is, telling her I was married would have just hurt her. I was trying to protect her, like I always do.”

“Oh Rip, you think she’s mad because you got married?” Eve shook her head sadly. “She’s mad because you kept it from her. You know she hates secrets. She yelled at me for ‘hiding’ mum’s locket from her, for not telling her the full extent of what happened in the car crash. Rip, she got mad because you had a dentist appointment once and said you were abandoning her, what made you think she’d be alright with a secret marriage?”

“You’re wrong about one thing,” he said quietly. “I would never purposely hurt her, you know that.”

“But Gideon doesn’t. Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

Eve opened the door, silently waiting for him to leave. With a sigh, he stepped outside. “Rip,” she stopped him. “I’ll need the key back for now.”

“Eve…”

“I need to protect Gideon first.” Eve held out her hand, hoping it would only be a temporary measure. “She’s all I have left too.”

He held out the spare key to the house Gideon had given him ages ago and placed it in the palm of her hand. “She’ll forgive me, won’t she?” Gideon could hold a grudge, but against him.

“I don’t know,” she said sincerely. Rip and Gideon had never fought like this before. “I don’t think I know anything anymore.”

* * *

Harry stared as the Brit made his way through the halls. He sighed and shook his head. In all his time, he’d never seen Rip Hunter so out of sorts. The man looked haggard, bags under his eyes, messy hair, tie half done, his suit jacket unbuttoned, shirt wrinkled, clearly had a drink or two. Harry didn’t know why he even bothered trying. He watched as his partner Kendra bumped into Rip’s shoulder without so much as a sorry, simply glaring back at him. Harry smirked quietly, sipping his coffee. He knew that Kendra had taken a liking to the tiny psychic, it was no wonder she’d sided with the woman. Harry didn’t blame her. Who the hell kept a secret marriage from their best friend?

“Hunter!” Harry barked, standing up. “What’re you doing here? Where’s your other half?”

Rip stared at him blankly. Harry sighed internally. He was used to the other one acting like the lost puppy; Rip normally had himself together, kept Gideon sane.

“Listen, pull yourself together, man. Look at yourself.” Harry gestured to all of him. “You need to get your priorities in order.” And grovel to Gideon. That was the only way to set things straight. Not that Harry cared.

“I was looking for Miranda,” Rip said quietly.

“She’s being discharged now. Can’t keep her for questioning without hard evidence.” He pointed where Ray Palmer was signing Miranda out.

Rip nodded and walked up to her. “Heard you were being released.”

Miranda glanced at him and scoffed. “I am.” She grabbed her belongings and began walking away with purpose.

Rip frowned and followed after her. “Why are you mad at me?”

“Because you buggered it up, Rip. How do you not tell your best friend you got married? That we got divorced? You said you would!”

Rip groaned and ran his hand through his hair as he followed Miranda to her car. “I was going to but then we were over so quickly there never seemed any point.”

Miranda glared at him and opened the door. “You didn’t tell her because you were ashamed, Rip.”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It’s not what you think.”

“It’s exactly what I think.” Miranda shook her head. She had known for a long time, even when they had been married, just how much of his heart Gideon owned. Miranda had never minded, had accepted it as one of the many quirks of her husband. But clearly, not even he had realized what it had meant. “Now, step aside. I have places to go and people to see.”

Rip barely managed to move away as Miranda sped out of the parking lot. Frustrated, he yelled and kicked a rock into the bushes. Somehow, things were just getting worse and worse.

* * *

“We’re closed!” Gideon yelled, munching angrily on her chocolate cereal. She was considering if she could remove Rip’s desk, put in a nice hammock instead. She didn’t need that traitor.

“I was still hoping for your help.”

Gideon looked up and saw Miranda standing there. She sighed internally, grudgingly admitting the woman was beautiful and she could see why Rip might have been attracted to her. “We’re closed.”

“I hear you’re the best psychic detective.”

“Can’t you go bother your husband for help instead?”

“Ex,” Miranda said simply, placing her purse on the desk. Gideon glared at the offending object. “You looked familiar to me, when we first met. I couldn’t quite place you until Rip showed up, and then I realized. You were his Gideon. He kept a photo of you on his nightstand instead of one of the ones we had together.”

“It was part of the rules,” Gideon muttered.

“I know.” Miranda smiled with amusement. “We never broke any of them.”

“Except for the unwritten rule of tell your best friend if you get married!” Gideon yelled, pulling her hair as tears stung her eyes again.

“He’s an idiot that made a mistake.”

Gideon shook her head. “Rip doesn’t make mistakes. I do. Not him.” Gilbert was the perfect one, so was Rip, Gideon was the screw up, the oddball.

“Oh Gideon, he’s only human.”

“He was my best friend.”

“He still is,” Miranda insisted. “You haven’t seen him, he’s a mess.”

“He deserves to be.” She was a mess too.

“Perhaps he does.” Miranda looked down. “He never stopped talking about you, all the things we’d do when we got back, how I’d get to meet you. Rip’s world was never complete without you. He was fine when we called off our marriage, realized we weren’t good together, but he could never fathom a life without you.”

“Why did you break it off?”

“We wanted different things. Honestly, we didn’t even last long. It was impulsive. We were young, in love, we didn’t know any better. He does now.”

“Not well enough to tell me to my face.”

Miranda nodded. “It’s not my place to tell you whether or not to forgive him, but I am desperate for help. If you’ll consider my case?”

Gideon bit her lip. “What is it?”

“They think I’m responsible for the robbery. None of my designs were stolen and I’m next in line to take over the company should something happen to Ms. Ramsbury. But I didn’t do it, they have no evidence so they let me go, but apparently I’m the only one with motive. I’m telling you though, I’ve looked over some of her numbers for her sales, there’s a discrepancy. I don’t think the police believe me.”

After a long moment, Gideon said, “I will consider your case.”

“Thank you.” Miranda stood up and grabbed her purse. “And consider forgiving Rip too? He would never want to hurt you, he loves you too much.”

“I will take your words under advisement.”

“Thank you, Gideon.”

* * *

_“And then we’ll meet Gideon, obviously. We’ll have to find a neighbourhood with two houses next to each other otherwise she’ll be staying in our guest room,” Rip joked._

_Miranda laughed along weakly, realizing if she didn’t speak up now, she never would. “Rip?” She placed her hand on his. “We need to talk.”_

_Rip stared at her blankly and in the other sofa his roommate muttered something about forgetting his pencil and quickly exited the common room. Rip looked back at Miranda. “Okay.”_

_Miranda cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I know we’ve talked a lot about moving to Central City after the semester is over.”_

_“Of course, we’ll be going home.”_

_“You’ll be going home,” Miranda corrected. Looking down, she continued meekly, “It’s not that I don’t want to meet your family, I do. But Rip, you know I’ve always wanted to travel after uni. I’m not ready to settle down.”_

_“Miranda, I’ve been away for six months. I have to go back, I promised Gideon.”_

_Miranda smiled sympathetically. She wasn’t surprised Gideon was his first thought. She always was. Ever since they’d met, it was ‘Gideon does this’ and ‘Gideon says that’. Miranda found it absolutely endearing how much Rip cared for his best friend. Over the month that they’d been married, he’d brought her up more and more, probably to compensate for their wedding in Vegas that Gideon wasn’t at._

_“And I think you should go.”_

_Rip stared at her. “But you won’t be coming with me, will you?”_

_Miranda shook her head. “I’m sorry, Rip. I am.”_

_He nodded and rubbed his wedding band. “No, no, you’re right.” A sort of clarity came about him. How had he been so reckless? Getting married on a whim? Expecting her to move with him across the ocean? “And us?”_

_“What do you think we should do?” she asked._

_“It wouldn’t work long distance,” he said quietly._

_“What we had was fun.”_

_“It was.” He smiled at her softly. “But it’s not forever, is it?”_

_Miranda kissed him gently. “It’s for the best, don’t you think?”_

_“Yeah, yes, you’re right.”_

_Two days later they signed their divorce papers and got the marriage annulled. Rip took off his wedding band and placed it in its box. If his roommate saw it, he never mentioned it, just like he never mentioned seeing it the first time._

_Rip didn’t see the point of talking about it. He’d made a mistake, a stupid impulsive decision that led to failure. Just like how his parents failed to raise him. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking of what he’d tell Gideon. Rip had meant to call her, tell her all that had transpired. But there was always something going on. She was sick, they had midterms, now he was divorced._

_Why did Gideon have to know anyway? Rip couldn’t bear it if she thought less of him. She didn’t have to know. No one had to know how close he’d come to screwing up his life. He would go back to Central City and close this chapter of his life forever._

_One impulsive decision didn’t have to haunt him for the rest of his life._

* * *

“We have a warrant to enter her office but I don’t understand why you need to be here and not at the expo,” Kendra said, letting Gideon enter Ms. Ramsbury’s office.

“You know me, Kendra. I need to feel and touch, really surround myself in the setting.” Gideon looked around the office. She noted the crumpled papers missing the trash can, clearly Ramsbury had been stressed. The date for today was circled in red on the calendar.

“We’ll need a separate warrant for the files,” Kendra said when she saw Gideon step over to the file cabinet. Smiling, she closed the drawers before Gideon began snooping around.

“Seriously? Isn’t that a lot of red tape?” Gideon asked, appalled at the state of the bureaucracy.

“If there is one thing that Harrison has taught me, it’s to not cut corners on cases. That’s how the lawyers get you and throw your case out, let the assailant go free even if they’re guilty as sin.”

“Good ole Harry,” Gideon muttered. She looked at the desk, noting the sticky note with an address, and today’s date. Same as the calendar. “I don’t know how you can stand him sometimes,” Gideon continued. “He’s so stuffy and annoying sometimes, don’t you want to just slap him?”

“Sometimes,” Kendra admitted. “But we’re partners. End of the day, he’s got my back and I’ve got his.”

“Put all emotions aside?”

“Sometimes it’s what the case needs,” Kendra said gently. “But it’s not what every friendship needs. It’s okay to be angry with him, Gideon.”

“I need a coffee,” Gideon declared. She smiled sweetly at Kendra, ignoring the stabbing in her heart as she thought of Rip. “Please?”

Kendra sighed and nodded. She could tell she touched a nerve. “I’ll have Palmer get us some.”

Gideon waited until she exited the room and dove for the file cabinet. Quickly, she pulled out the ledger, realizing there was a code to the way Ramsbury marked the different jewelries. It didn’t take long for Gideon to realize there were copies made, different prices each time though. Oh, now it all made sense!

She shoved the drawer closed and stood up just as Kendra walked back in.

“He’s gonna do a java run,” Kendra said.

“Excellent. Rip doesn’t let me have coffee usually.” Gideon hummed and picked up the sticky note behind her back, stuffing it into her pocket.

“Get any psychic vibes yet?”

“It’s a bit muddy. I’ll let you know when I have something.”

Gideon walked out with a smile. She’d let Kendra know when she had the perp.

* * *

Gideon stepped out of the shadows, hands in her jacket pockets as she took in the blonde woman talking to three burly men.

“Joanna Lamberry.” Gideon clapped her hands. “Excellent deceit. You threw everyone off your scent, except for me.”

The blonde narrowed her eyes. “Who are you? And it’s Ramsbury!”

Gideon blinked. “It is? You should really consider changing it. I like Lamberry better.”

Joanna huffed. “I don’t have time for this.”

“No, no I suppose you don’t.” Gideon placed her fingers to her temple, recalling everything she’d seen. “You’re planning on ripping these fences off, getting out of town before they realize you’re giving them a fake and taking the money.”

The men raised their guns and Joanna scoffed. “That’s preposterous.”

“Is it? You’re running a good scheme, I’ll give you that much. You file to the insurance that your pieces go missing. You sell a fake on the black market, and to a legitimate buyer, and then you keep the originals for yourself. Build up your assets so you can liquidate them if you ever need to run. You’re not just double dipping, you’re triple dipping. It’s brilliant, truly. Except you got caught. As the best psychic detective in Central City, it didn’t take me long to figure you out, what your plan was and that you were planning on pinning it on Miranda. What an evil genius. And I say that with contempt, not admiration.”

“I’ve had just about enough of this.” Joanna pulled out a gun of her own.

“You’re supposed to be unarmed!” one of the men shouted.

“Yeah, well deal’s off.” She shot at Gideon who only just ducked behind one of the containers in the warehouse.

Gideon heard shots continue to ring before she felt herself pulled inside the container. In an attempt to scream, a hand was put over her mouth.

“It’s me, it’s just me,” Rip whispered. He held her close, shielding her body with his.

“Rip?” Gideon looked at him. “You’re here. Why are you here? How are you here?”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m here for you, Gideon. Always. No matter how angry you are with me. You’re my best friend, I wouldn’t let you run into danger alone. I can’t lose you, okay?”

“How did you find me?”

Rip smiled. “Eve and I had your motorbike on GPS ages ago for whenever you got into one of your fits and took off. Had to make sure you were safe. I told Harry and Kendra to follow so they should be coming right about…”

“Freeze! Hands up! All of you!”

“Perfect timing.” Gideon grinned and allowed Rip to help her up. They exited the container and saw Kendra, Harry, and Eve were now arresting everyone.

“Gideon!” Eve ran to her and hugged her. Gideon quietly patted her back. “Are you okay?” She stopped and stared at Rip.

“I’m fine, Eve. Just fine.” Gideon walked up to the detectives. “She’s the one that orchestrated it for the money but she’ll have had help on the side. Someone forged all the fake jewelry.”

“I’m sure we’ll get her to talk,” Kendra said. “Thanks for your help.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Harry said. “Check will be in the mail, I’m sure.”

“Thanks, Harry.” Gideon gave a mock salute and watched as they cleared out, hearing Rip walk close to her. She didn’t leave.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said quietly.

“Thanks for coming.”

“I’ll always be there for you. And I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.” He kissed her cheek before walking off.

Eve wrapped an arm around Gideon. “Come on, let’s go home. You’ve had a rough couple of days.”

* * *

Gideon looked up when she heard footsteps. Rip paused at the door.

“Should I clear out my stuff?” he asked quietly.

Gideon shook her head and patted the spot next to her where she was sitting on the desk. “No, I called because I’m ready to talk.”

Warily, he walked over and sat next to her, leaving a few inches of space. “Gideon, I am so-”

“No, I want to go first,” Gideon said. Rip nodded and she took a deep breath, toying with her necklace. “You know that Gilbert was all I had, my only real friend, and then I lost him. He never kept secrets from me, couldn’t. And I thought you were the same way. I thought you could never keep secrets from me.”

“Gideon-”

“I’m not finished,” she said. Rip stayed quiet. “The six months that you were gone were some of the hardest in my life. Even when I moved to the states, I met you, and we instantly connected somehow. But I don’t make friends easily. And then you go off to London and you have all these new friends, a wife, a whole new life, and…you never really needed me. It’s always me that needs you. You make me better, Rip. And I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Oh Gideon.” He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re forgetting that you’re my best friend and I love you. There might be others in my life, but none of them come close to you. You are the only person, apart from Mother, who loves me and accepts me, flaws and all.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Miranda?” she asked again.

“I was going to, I swear. But I kept putting it off. I remembered how upset you were at the thought of me leaving, at the thought of me finding a new friend. Our marriage was on impulse, I swear. We went to Vegas and got hitched. I’d originally brought her home to meet you, but you were gone, and we were young and stupid. I didn’t tell anyone-”

“Was John there? Was he your best man? So help me, Rip Hunter I will murder you right here and-”

“No, no! Of course not.” Rip shook his head. “In truth, I don’t think I ever told him anything. He knew I was dating Miranda because he saw us around campus. But I never actually told anyone that I’d gotten married. Obviously, he saw the ring, never asked, and I never said. And then it was all over so quickly, there was never any time. We were barely married a month.”

“What did your mother say?”

Rip stayed quiet.

“Rip?” Gideon stared at him in awe. “You didn’t tell your mother?!”

“It wasn’t my best moment, okay?”

“Bloody hell, you really are an idiot, aren’t you?” Gideon mused.

Rip squeezed her hand. “When I married Miranda, I wanted you to meet her in person because I wanted your blessing. But when it ended, I didn’t want to see your disappointment. You have always looked at me as the smart one, strong in every way and the one who makes the right decisions,” he said softly. “You see me as perfect and I guess I didn’t want you to realize how far from the truth that is and how royally I buggered up.”

“You really did,” she said.

“I know. But I swear to you, Gideon, I will never do it again if you just give me another chance.”

“No more secrets?” she asked.

Rip kissed her cheeks and the top of her head as he held her close. “No more secrets. I promise you Gideon, never again.”

“Okay.” Gideon pressed a key against his palm and Rip wrapped her up tightly in his arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

She hugged him tight when there was another knock on the door.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Miranda said. “I wanted to bring a thank you, and a peace offering, for helping clear my name in the case.”

“What is it?” Gideon asked.

“Rip said you had a sweet tooth. I bought brownies.”

Gideon’s eyes lit up. “You did?”

Rip sighed. “Gideon, you know how you get when you have sugar-”

“John knew and I didn’t!” Gideon smirked at him.

“Going to lord it over me forever then,” he muttered. Rip took the box and unwrapped it, holding out a brownie for her. “Come on then.”

Gideon bit into it and settled into his lap as Rip teasingly flicked her nose. “Only for the chocolate,” she said sweetly.

“Fair enough.” He fed her another bite as Miranda smiled at them both.

“Cleared everything up then?” she asked.

“We’ve agreed on no more secrets ever,” Rip said. He held Gideon tightly. He couldn’t bear to lose her again.

“I’m glad. Well, it was lovely to finally meet you at last, Gideon.” Miranda held out her hand and Gideon shook it politely. “Perhaps one day our paths will cross again.”

“Don’t be a stranger!” Gideon said brightly.

Rip shook his head. Chocolate. He should have started with chocolate. Miranda smiled and left the room.

“Ah, the one that got away,” Gideon mused watching Miranda’s retreating figure. “You really don’t miss her?”

“It was an amicable divorce.”

“So nothing else happened?” Gideon teased.

Rip grew hot, cheeks burning red and Gideon’s eyes widened.

“It did! Didn’t it! Tell me!”

“It was just one night, before I left for home. Just a goodbye.”

“You shagged her.”

“Gideon! I’m not discussing this with you!”

“We agreed no more secrets!”

“That doesn’t apply to my sex life.”

“But Rip!”

Rip placed another brownie into her mouth, stopping her next words. “I think we need some ice cream to go with these brownies, don’t you?” He got up and moved to the small kitchen they had.

“You fight dirty, Rip Hunter! But I want chocolate sauce as well!”

“Yup!”

Outside, Miranda could hear the loud yells and clatter and laughter from inside, pleased that everything was as it should be. Her phone rang and she smiled at the name.

“Jonas, darling, Mummy will be home tomorrow.”


End file.
